Thiruvananthapuram: After roping in eminent
technocrat Sam Pitroda as Kerala`s `development mentor`, the
Congress-led UDF government now plans to utilise the services
of E Sreedharan for the ambitious Kochi Metro Rail Project.
Sreedharan, already a member of the state Planning Board,
is expected to play a crucial role in the project, for which
he already had been an advisor.
`Metro Man` Sreedharan`s term as MD of Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation is to end next month.
Disclosing this at a meet-the-press here, Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy said his government was very keen on making use
of the support and services of experts from diverse fields to
achieve its goal of fast track growth of the state.
After he came to power in May this year, government had
appointed former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar as
vice-chairman of the state Planning Board and former CII
general secretary Tarun Das as its member.
More recently, Pitroda had agreed to advise the
government on technical aspects without charging any
remuneration.
"It has been our policy to utilise the services and
goodwill of experts willing to help us," Chandy said.
On resentment by certain Left quarters on making Tarun
Das the state planning board member, Chandy said, "You cannot
forget that he had served on the West Bengal plan board when
the state was ruled by the CPI(M)-led coalition."
Chandy, who announced a one year action plan yesterday,
said apprehensions by certain quarters that government planned
to open up public utility services like drinking water supply
was unfounded.
"We only want to make delivery of basic services more
effective and prompt," he said.
He said UDF was totally confident of winning the Assembly
by-poll in Piravom Assembly segment, caused by the death of
Kerala Congress leader TM Jacob.
Asked if it would be a referendum of his government`s
performance, he said "every bypoll is an evaluation of the
government`s performance and that of the Opposition as well."
PTI
